XJ Dreamin'
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Huntsville, Texas
Stock 2WD '93 XJ, 4.0L HO, AW4: 193,533 miles indicated
I originally posted this on OEM but since I'm actually talking about performance mods, I though I should bring it over here. The odo issue is secondary, really. The 200,000 mile mark is just an excuse to begin the mods. What I'm actually interested in is opinions on the mods. What I'll be after is improved streetability while maintaining enough flex to handle rough gravel and native surface roads. I don't want this rig to win Baja, but I don't want to have to slow down either :laugh3: .
Anyway, here it is.
Against the interstate mile markers I am travelling about 5% more actual miles than my odometer records. I assume this is the difference between the stock speedo gearing and the LT 235/75R15 A/T's that I'm running. When I bought this Jeep three years ago at 130,000 miles indicated it was on standard 205 or 215 passenger radials. I immediately swapped on the 235's from my '83 Ram Charger so I have no idea how accurate the odometer was before the swap. The only reason this is important is that I want to celebrate the soon to arrive 200,000th mile (yes, I have put on approximately 70,000 miles in 3 years - Texas is a B!%@# on miles/year). The question is: when will 200,000 get here - if it hasn't already? If the odometer was essentially accurate with the 205/215's (I don't remember which it was) and the 5% error has only been since the 130,000 mark, then I am currently at 196,710 actual miles. If there was no significant difference from before to after then I am at 203,210 and I missed it. I intend to celebrate with a year of upgrades. I let my Ram Charger maintenance slide in favor of the wife's Grand Caravan payments, house payments, daycare payments, food and crap like that until it finally died at 350,000. I intend to treat my Jeep better.
It's a DD and only 2WD so I'm thinking of taking it slowly from stock toward stoplight getti-up and (mostly paved) road performance with whatever light pre-runner capability it has stock. I won't be doing much fabrication on this one - I'll save that for it's replacement (in about 3 years I'll be looking for a '97 Select-Trac XJ to lift and convert to pre-running). For now, I'm thinking (probably in this order):
new motor mounts (OEM - I don't want a stiffer mount until I reinforce the mount-to-block breaking bolts issue - the OEM's have lasted 200,000 and will be good for now)
new shock absorbers (stock length but I;d like a little more control on the compression stroke - I need to research this);
new rear leaf packs (I figure on stealing low mileage late model packs from pick-ur-part - I don't want to lift without addressing all the lift issues at once [e.g., control arm length/angle, SYE, adj. trackbar, etc.]. I'll save lifting for the replacement);
open intake (probably K&N cone with air tube);
bored out TB (60mm, buy it or do it myself);
new header (whatever aftermarket I can get cheap or keep stock for now);
2 1/4" header-back exhaust including new Cat and highlow muffler (not too loud);
better wet road traction than the 235's give (I'm open to suggestions here. If there is something for around $125 a tire mounted with road hazard that will give better wet road grip without looking too gay, please let me know);
LSD or No-Slip for the rear (currently d35 open);
new seats or repair current seats (absolute minimum cost here - I'll probably borrow a welder or get later model pick-ur-part seats);
new sound (I'd prefer to at least look king of stock and I'm not interested in rattling anybody's windows - it's just that the OEM tape deck crapped out and I really need a CD changer);
check for and repair any floorboard rust-through.
That's all I can think of right now. Let me know if I'm missing anything big. The rig runs great!! It looses about 1 quart per 3,000 - mostly on top of the valve cover. I'm getting 17.7 mpg average daily diving (about 50/50 interstate/street) with a very heavy foot (that beats my Ram Charger's 14 mpg so I'm happy with that). The only noises (besides the broken driver's seat) is exhaust rattle against the frame a high torque (hence the new motor mounts) and DS vibe at high high torque (hence the new springs - I might consider a traction bar but it's only a d35 - I don't want to get carried away with this). I love the Jeep even better than the Ram Charger and it was a police special with High Output 360, Rochester Quadra-Jet, and LSD 12-bolt rear-end. I'm stayin' with XJ's from now on, but for now I'm limited to a 2WD DD.
Thanks for your time,
XJ Dreamin'
I originally posted this on OEM but since I'm actually talking about performance mods, I though I should bring it over here. The odo issue is secondary, really. The 200,000 mile mark is just an excuse to begin the mods. What I'm actually interested in is opinions on the mods. What I'll be after is improved streetability while maintaining enough flex to handle rough gravel and native surface roads. I don't want this rig to win Baja, but I don't want to have to slow down either :laugh3: .
Anyway, here it is.
Against the interstate mile markers I am travelling about 5% more actual miles than my odometer records. I assume this is the difference between the stock speedo gearing and the LT 235/75R15 A/T's that I'm running. When I bought this Jeep three years ago at 130,000 miles indicated it was on standard 205 or 215 passenger radials. I immediately swapped on the 235's from my '83 Ram Charger so I have no idea how accurate the odometer was before the swap. The only reason this is important is that I want to celebrate the soon to arrive 200,000th mile (yes, I have put on approximately 70,000 miles in 3 years - Texas is a B!%@# on miles/year). The question is: when will 200,000 get here - if it hasn't already? If the odometer was essentially accurate with the 205/215's (I don't remember which it was) and the 5% error has only been since the 130,000 mark, then I am currently at 196,710 actual miles. If there was no significant difference from before to after then I am at 203,210 and I missed it. I intend to celebrate with a year of upgrades. I let my Ram Charger maintenance slide in favor of the wife's Grand Caravan payments, house payments, daycare payments, food and crap like that until it finally died at 350,000. I intend to treat my Jeep better.
It's a DD and only 2WD so I'm thinking of taking it slowly from stock toward stoplight getti-up and (mostly paved) road performance with whatever light pre-runner capability it has stock. I won't be doing much fabrication on this one - I'll save that for it's replacement (in about 3 years I'll be looking for a '97 Select-Trac XJ to lift and convert to pre-running). For now, I'm thinking (probably in this order):
new motor mounts (OEM - I don't want a stiffer mount until I reinforce the mount-to-block breaking bolts issue - the OEM's have lasted 200,000 and will be good for now)
new shock absorbers (stock length but I;d like a little more control on the compression stroke - I need to research this);
new rear leaf packs (I figure on stealing low mileage late model packs from pick-ur-part - I don't want to lift without addressing all the lift issues at once [e.g., control arm length/angle, SYE, adj. trackbar, etc.]. I'll save lifting for the replacement);
open intake (probably K&N cone with air tube);
bored out TB (60mm, buy it or do it myself);
new header (whatever aftermarket I can get cheap or keep stock for now);
2 1/4" header-back exhaust including new Cat and highlow muffler (not too loud);
better wet road traction than the 235's give (I'm open to suggestions here. If there is something for around $125 a tire mounted with road hazard that will give better wet road grip without looking too gay, please let me know);
LSD or No-Slip for the rear (currently d35 open);
new seats or repair current seats (absolute minimum cost here - I'll probably borrow a welder or get later model pick-ur-part seats);
new sound (I'd prefer to at least look king of stock and I'm not interested in rattling anybody's windows - it's just that the OEM tape deck crapped out and I really need a CD changer);
check for and repair any floorboard rust-through.
That's all I can think of right now. Let me know if I'm missing anything big. The rig runs great!! It looses about 1 quart per 3,000 - mostly on top of the valve cover. I'm getting 17.7 mpg average daily diving (about 50/50 interstate/street) with a very heavy foot (that beats my Ram Charger's 14 mpg so I'm happy with that). The only noises (besides the broken driver's seat) is exhaust rattle against the frame a high torque (hence the new motor mounts) and DS vibe at high high torque (hence the new springs - I might consider a traction bar but it's only a d35 - I don't want to get carried away with this). I love the Jeep even better than the Ram Charger and it was a police special with High Output 360, Rochester Quadra-Jet, and LSD 12-bolt rear-end. I'm stayin' with XJ's from now on, but for now I'm limited to a 2WD DD.
Thanks for your time,
XJ Dreamin'
